AUT vs University of Waikato:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, AUT had more branded searches than University of Waikato among universities in New Zealand. AUT was estimated to have 66.2K branded searches compared to University of Waikato’s 54.2K, and held a 13.5% Share of Search versus University of Waikato’s 11.1%.
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Which is more popular in search, AUT or University of Waikato?
New Zealand's eight universities, compared through branded searches in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for AUT, University of Waikato. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | University of Auckland | AUT | Massey University | Victoria University of Wellington | University of Waikato | University of Otago | University of Canterbury | Lincoln University |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.3% | 14.6% | 14.2% | 10.4% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 8% | 4.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.8% | 13.6% | 13.2% | 9.7% | 11.1% | 10% | 7.4% | 5.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.9% | 12% | 15.6% | 11% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 8.8% | 5.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.3% | 11.1% | 12.7% | 9.3% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 8.8% | 5.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.4% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 12% | 11.8% | 12.9% | 9.7% | 5.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 29% | 11.7% | 10.8% | 11.6% | 15.8% | 8.6% | 7.9% | 4.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.1% | 11.1% | 13.9% | 12.2% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 4.8% |
| May 2026 | 28.7% | 11.1% | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.4% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 4.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.9% | 11.5% | 12.9% | 11.3% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 7.7% | 4.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.9% | 12.7% | 12.4% | 13.5% | 12.7% | 8.5% | 7.8% | 5.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 28.5% | 13.5% | 13.1% | 11.7% | 11.1% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 4.8% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the AUT and University of Waikato comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: University of Waikato took it in March 2026, AUT took it in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, AUT’s estimated Share of Search among universities in New Zealand moved from 14.6% to 13.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.2K to 66.2K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, University of Waikato’s estimated Share of Search among universities in New Zealand moved from 10.8% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 44.4K to 54.2K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand universities in August 2026?
3 changes
In August 2026, Massey University overtook University of Waikato to rank 3rd among universities in New Zealand, at 13.1%.
In August 2026, AUT overtook Victoria University of Wellington to rank 2nd among universities in New Zealand, at 13.5%.
In August 2026, University of Waikato lost estimated Share of Search among universities in New Zealand, from 12.7% to 11.1%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AUT’s and University of Waikato’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
AUT
4 branded search terms
- auckland university of technology
- aut
- aut auckland
- aut university
University of Waikato
3 branded search terms
- university of waikato
- waikato uni
- waikato university
Put your own brand in this comparison
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